Much effort has been invested in developing technologies that enable the efficient production of as much hydrocarbon material as possible from a given oilfield. For instance, numerous wells are often drilled in close proximity to enhance yield. Often, the production from wells in low-permeability (“tight”) formations may be made more efficient by creating and opening fractures around each well with a process known as hydraulic fracturing-popularly called “fracking.” This process of fracturing the rock surrounding the well effectively expands the reach of the well and enables fluids that would otherwise have difficulty flowing through the pores of the rock to instead flow through the fractures and into the well.
Yet such fracturing may prove problematic with wells in close proximity, as low impedance flow paths between different wells (“short circuits”) create undesirable pressure gradients that preclude optimal hydrocarbon yield rates. To prevent any possibility of short circuits, well spacings and fracture spacings are generally kept at values that minimize any interaction between wells, potentially leading to inefficient drainage of the reservoir. This conservative strategy is further motivated by the perceived need to limit the massive amount of formation data that would need to be thoroughly considered in the time-sensitive drilling context, where drillers and production personnel wish to maintain control and adaptability of drilling and completion specifications and parameters.
It should be understood, however, that the specific embodiments given in the drawings and detailed description do not limit the disclosure. On the contrary, they provide the foundation for one of ordinary skill to discern the alternative forms, equivalents, and modifications that are encompassed together with one or more of the given embodiments in the scope of the appended claims.